I am taking it on faith that this is actually ROH on HDNet #57. I lost track quite a while ago, but this sounds about right - they were pre-empted a few weeks for some basketball tournament, and WOW it's hard to believe it's been over a year since this show debuted. I'm even not minding Mike Hogewood so much anymore! Either he got a whole lot better or I've mellowed.

This actually goes back a few weeks. I follow David Lagana on Twitter - you should, too - he's great about promoting ROH on HDNet without spoiling it (too much). Recent example was his entreaty to get folks to tune in to the finals of their World TV title tourney:

That shortened URL takes you to a three minute clip with a short recap of recent history showing the American Wolves maybe not getting along so well. It actually has very little to do with how Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards actually made it through the TV title tourney, opting instead to tell a story of how the Wolves have lost a lot of matches recently and teasing possible dissent between the partners. I think the tournament story was enough, with the fact that it ended up being tag team partners colliding an interesting sidebar, but it's all a moot point because fortunately I never saw this video until just now so I really can't bitch about it (too much). So let's get off that tangent and back to the story.

I was going to watch the show anyway because I actually haven't missed an episode since the debut and somehow it's off enough radars that I manage to stay spoiler free even though the show was taped, what, back in early March. So even though I didn't need a tweet from Lagana to get me to watch it, it did kind of get me a little extra excited to be watching the show. And I was rewarded with a great match, a title win for Edwards, and NO breakup as mutual respect was shown after the match.

Let's move up a week, and to another tweet:

Originally posted by @LaganaLast week's ROH show featured a classic match. Tonight features a shocking incident between Austin Aries and Delirious. @hdnet

OK, a BIT of a spoiler, but again, something to look forward to, right? Well...it didn't seem that shocking to ME when Austin Aries kicked Delirious "right in the throat," then cheap shotted Daizee Haze - a WOMAN! - and, for an encore, came from the top rope to the floor with Delirious' throat on the barricade. Now, I am old. I liked this better when it was Savage and Steamboat and Rick Scaia was reliving it. I also can't get all riled up about a forearm to the back of a WOMAN when that WOMAN is also a WOMAN WRESTLER. Again, I could just be old.

Now we come to THIS week's show - we began with an unusual opening shot of Hogewood and Prazak, no background music, and in subdued tones Hogewood talked about the most shocking incident he had ever seen in his ENTIRE LIFE. This led to...well, they put it on YouTube, so let me just embed it here:

This took me RIGHT out of it - post-produced to hell and chock full of video manipulation, speed changes, monochrome, reverb and repetition, dramatic background music and ... added sound effects intended to amplify "impact" of the big moves, and for what? In short, the same kind of overproduced crap that is pervasive on WWE shows.

WWE shows?

What the bloody hell is ROH thinking?

Here's what *I* thought: OH GOD PLEASE NO.

And as if that weren't enough, they ended the show PLAYING THE SAME GODDAMN CLIP because, like WWE television, there's an apparent belief that nobody watches the show from beginning to end and needs repetition, repetition, repetition of the key points. This is actually true for RAW, of course, as Kim watched *only* the main event yet thanks to Cole and Lawler knew EVERYTHING that had happened the previous two hours except for Maryse training with a "jiu jistu instruction" in a pretape - and I was able to fill her in there. But, again, I digress.

Now, I'm not an idiot. (No, REALLY.) The irony can't be lost that I haven't written about ROH for months and clearly this clip must have had the desired effect because THIS was the clip that forced me to stay up past 3am saying something on the Internet about ROH. Not the great matches, not even the awful matches, not the actually quite entertaining Colt Cabana comedy bits - THIS clip.

But I'm worried that ROH may be headed down a direction that leads to a whole lot of "ROH Rewinds" - and that's not the show I signed up to watch.

So let me throw it out to the crowd - I know that none of you get HDNet and I'm not even sure any of you are watching this show. Does the above clip get you interested or excited in catching future episodes of the show or keeping an eye on the burgeoning Austin Aries/Delirious feud and what might happen next? Do I have a beef here, or am I just too far out of the demographic and/or "hardcore" and should be ignored? Or something in the middle?

PS Having said all that, I should also note that during tonight's show there was ALSO a really great package detailing the TV Title Tourney and doing a lot more for showing off Edwards & Richards AND the tourney final than that teaser clip did. (It probably also had background music which I managed to ignore, because I'm a giant hypocrite.)

So let me throw it out to the crowd - I know that none of you get HDNet and I'm not even sure any of you are watching this show.

That's right. They pulled HDNet about a year ago and the only way I can keep up with ROH is via web. So, that part, they have figured out. Or, to the point that it's not a pain in the ass to watch it. Just not on TV

Does the above clip get you interested or excited in catching future episodes of the show or keeping an eye on the burgeoning Austin Aries/Delirious feud and what might happen next?

It does. I'll explain why in the next section. For now, let's focus on the real issue. You've been a SUCKER for Daizee and can't reconcile that you WANT to mark out for her getting caught up in this, but are being too smart to let it happen

I thought we already came to the conclusion it better just to let this wrestling nonsense HAPPEN instead of trying to rationalize why it does. TNA, for example, is a hell of a show if you let yourself go dumb

Do I have a beef here, or am I just too far out of the demographic and/or "hardcore" and should be ignored? Or something in the middle?

You hit the nail on the head trying to rope me into the Twitter bullshit - it's an A.D.D. world. If I didn't know from ROH and hadn't planned on watching it today, this would get me interested - and I have no problems with needing the lowdown in 2 minutes or less. I like when people take 30 minutes to tell me something - but those days are coming to an end

Viral Marketing is what the term is, I think. Catch your eye quick and hope it makes an impression - and really hope that it makes you spend. The recap clip above is a good angle and hits the highspots. If they are stealing anything from WWE, it's the idea of well-produced recap packages can hide a lot of the fuck-ups that occur telling the bigger story

FLEA

also (cause I don't tweet yet) - Psycho Killer is a great Staraoke song. Yes, we do still have IM (that FLEA's an idiot!)

(edited by RYDER FAKIN on 11.5.10 1032)Demonstrations are a drag. Besides, we're much too high

"Learn to love yourself... for it is the greatest love of all" - Jeremy Borash 11:24 AM May 13th,2009

Originally posted by CRZDoes the above clip get you interested or excited in catching future episodes of the show or keeping an eye on the burgeoning Austin Aries/Delirious feud and what might happen next? Do I have a beef here, or am I just too far out of the demographic and/or "hardcore" and should be ignored? Or something in the middle?

My only problem with the clip -- and it's my continuing problem with ROH -- is the announce team. The heel looks and sounds stoned, and the older gentlemen can't convey the emotions necessary to sell matches. Their sandbag delivery drags down every ROH show I've seen. I'd mute the audio, but I love to hear the crowd.

The angle, music, and effects? I'm OK with that. I thought the shift from b/w and slo-mo to color and natural speed was nicely done if wasted on a clubbing blow to Daizee. That's the same kind of hit that would normally be used to break up a pinfall. It's not dire.

I think that is the biggest problem with Vince bringing him back. Whether he actually says it or not Vince knows Austin will have an "I told you so" attitude. Austin was absolutely right and Vince won't be able to swallow that.